(PRESS STATEMENT)
Co-President of the Religion for Peace World Council and Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar III has called for the cessation of the ongoing hostilities in Gaza which has left numerous women and children starving to death with the numbers rising daily, according to the World Health Organization.
The Sultan was speaking on Tuesday at the one-day World Council meeting held in the ancient city of Istanbul once known as Constantinople in Turkey.
The meeting which takes place every five years last held in Lindau, Germany and had about 60 countries in attendance with faithfuls of numerous religions like the Hindu, Bahai, Catholics, Anglicans, Jewish and Muslims as well as Orthodox Coptic church in attendance.
The Patriarch of the City of Constantinople, His All Majesty Bartholomew (l) gave a keynote address espousing the desirability for a global alliance of conscience and restoration of the original value systems embedded in all religions and shared by all humanity in order to achieve peace and social harmony in the world.
The two main sessions featured extensive examination of the Debt burden on low income societies as well as a session on faith, dignity and artificial intelligence with the attendant concerns of its effect on our various cultures and religions.
During his presentation within the second session on the debt crisis in underprivileged societies, Sultan Saad examined the impact of huge debt burdens on the economies of developing countries, it’s consequences as well as ramifications and proceeded to recommend immediate debt cancellation for low income group countries all over the world in order to tackle the wealth imbalance, abolish past exploitative policies as well as reduce poverty by equitable redistribution of wealth all over the world. The two sessions witnessed robust contributions from technocrats, religious groups, gender advocates, scholars as well as royalty.
At the end of the Council meeting, a nine-point set of resolutions read by the Secretary General Dr Francis Kuria, were unanimously agreed upon by the august body among which was the resolution to call on World leaders to halt the genocide in Gaza immediately.
Religion for Peace World Council is an inter-religious, inter-faith organization of the United Nations with its headquarters based at the United Nations building in New York.
The Council’s next General Assembly meeting is scheduled for Abu Dhabi in 2030.
E-Signed:
Dr Danladi Bako
Kogunan Sokoto
Member of the Sultan’s delegation.
July 30th, 2025.